The Iceberg
by DChan87
Summary: A novelization of Katara's thoughts and actions during the scene where she and Sokka discover Aang in the iceberg. Written for Day 1 of Avatar Week, "Beginnings".


"You are the most sexist, immature, nut-brained… I'm embarrassed to be related to you!"

Sokka's done it this time! Leave it to a girl!? Who does he think he is, some fearless warrior from those old stories!? We just barely survived getting crushed by ice and he has the nerve to say this!? I don't care if he's getting scared! GOOD! If it means he learns his lesson, so be it!

"Ever since mom died, _I've _been doing _all _the work around camp while you've been off playing _soldier_!" This'll show him!

"Uh, Katara?"

"I EVEN WASH ALL THE CLOTHES! Have you ever smelled your dirty socks? Let me tell you: Not PLEASANT!

"Katara! Settle down!"

WHO DOES HE THINK HE IS TELLING ME WHAT TO DO!? "NO! That's it, I'm _done _helping you! From now on, you're ON YOUR _OWN_!"

I don't know what happened next. All I know is that the iceberg behind me suddenly cracks open and Sokka and I floated away from it, just hanging on for our lives. What just happened? Did I just bend that iceberg open?

"Okay, you've gone from weird, to FREAKISH, Katara!"

"You mean _I _did that?" I still can't believe what I just did. Is this what I'm capable of? Now I know why Sokka was scared. It was because of the iceberg! I need to find a—what's going on? What's that blue light?

"Yep, congratulations."

Suddenly, both Sokka and I are distracted by the blue light. It's bubbling up to the surface, and we have to get out of the way! Suddenly, this massive blue iceberg popped out from the water right in front of us and stabilized itself. It's shaped like a big ball, and it glows so wonderfully that I have to get a closer look. I can't take my eyes off of it.

I can see something in there! It looks big and… what's that? There's another thing in there.

It's a person! And he's glowing! I have to help! "He's alive! We have to help!" I grab my brother's war club and dash along the ice. Please be alive! I ignore his pleas for me to stop, but I can't just let this boy stay in there!

Come on, let this work! _Whack! Whack! Whack! _Come on, PLEASE—"AAH!" I don't know what just happened! Something just blew me back onto Sokka and now—WHAT'S GOING ON!? Is that thing cracking? It is, and it just cracked open! And where is this light coming from!? Is it from the iceberg?

I don't know what else happens next. All I know is Sokka's holding onto me, protecting me like the big brother he is. When the light fades, we look at each other and back at the ice. The big ball of light is gone, just some auroras. Suddenly, somebody's standing on top of the ice! It was that boy in the iceberg!

"STOP!" Sokka commands.

The boy doesn't listen. He just stands there, glowing a strange blue light. Is… that what I think it is? He's bald and has an arrow-shaped tattoo on his head. Gran Gran told me they belong to the Air Nomads, but they've been gone for 100 years. How is this possible?

Finally the blue light is gone and the boy starts to fall. I gasp and run to catch him. He's so small, and younger than I am. He couldn't be much older than 12. Aaaand, Sokka's poking him with his spear like the paranoid warrior he is. "Stop it!" I command, pushing his spear away.

But… is the boy okay? I gently place him back on the ice and watch as his eyes open. They're a soft grey, but I'm relieved that he's alright. He's looking at me strangely, but I don't care.

"I need to ask you something," he says weakly. What? What could he want? Is he… dying? Oh, please don't be dying!

"What?"

"Please… come closer."

So I do. "What is it?" I expect him to say something profound and—

"Will you go penguin-sledding with me?"

"Uuuh… sure. I guess?" That's it? That's the deeply profound thing he wanted to say? Okay, I'm confused.

The boy effortlessly lifts himself back onto his feet and, Sokka being Sokka, points his spear at him. "What's going on here?" he asked.

"You tell us!" Sokka shouts. "How'd you get in the ice!? And why aren't you frozen!?"

"I'm not sure."

There's a low growling coming from the iceberg. The boy gasps and runs over to the source of the sound. I hear him talking to something, but I'm not sure what it is. So Sokka and I run around to the opening to see a giant animal! What is that thing? It wakes up and lifts the boy up, who seems happy to see him awake. I'm still kinda nervous, but that hug he gives the creature must mean it's friendly.

"What _is _that thing?" Sokka asks.

"This is Appa, my flying bison," said the boy.

"_Right_. And this is Katara, my flying sister." Did he really have to say that?

Appa's sudden booger-y sneeze all over my brother is just too funny, especially seeing him trying to get it out like a buffoon. "Don't worry, it'll wash out," the boy assured him. Yeah, I don't think he cares. He's too grossed out.

Okay, it's gross.

"So, do you guys live around here?" the boy asks. Once again, Sokka has to play the brave soldier by pointing his spear at the boy.

"Don't answer that! Did you see that crazy bolt of light? He was probably trying to signal the Fire Navy."

Oh, for crying out loud. "Oh yeah, I'm _sure _he's a spy for the Fire Navy. You can tell by the _eeevil_ look in his eye." Right on cue, he gives him a goofy smile. "The paranoid one is my brother, Sokka. You never told us your name."

"I'm A-ah, ah, ah, AAAH-CHOOOO!" Before he could tell us, the boy sneezed and flew up ten feet in the air like he was the feather of an arctic hen! I can't believe it! There's only one way he could have done that, but… "I'm Aang!" he says when he finally lands.

"You just sneezed! And flew ten feet in the air!" Sokka says with the same disbelief I have.

"Really? It felt higher than that."

I gasp. There really is only one conclusion I can come up with. "You're an airbender!" Maybe he can help me with my waterbending… although, I doubt it. I'm just too surprised that we found an honest-to-goodness airbender!

"Sure am!" Aang says.

"Giant light beams, flying bison, airbenders, I think I've got the midnight sun madness," Sokka says. "I'm going home to where stuff makes sense." And now he just realizes that our little fishing canoe was smashed to bits and we're kinda stuck here for now.

"Well, if you guys are stuck, Appa and I can give you a lift," Aang offers as he jumps onto Appa's head.

"We'd love a ride! Thanks!" I say as I run up onto Appa's back. I can't wait to get home and show him to everyone!

"Oh no, I am _not _getting on that fluffy snot monster," Sokka says stubbornly. He really can be thick-headed.

"Are you hoping some _other _kind of monster will come along and give you a ride home?" I ask. "Y'know, before you _freeze _to death?"

He wants to retort, but he knows I'm right. The only thing he can do is climb up on Appa's back and come with us.

I've never ridden on a flying bison before! My heart's pumping like crazy as Aang gets ready. "Okay, first-time flyers, hold on tight! Appa, yip, yip!"

Appa jumps in the air, spreading his legs out, he's going to fly! This is so cool!

Aaaand, then he splashes back into the water. Oh well, at least we're heading home. "Come on, Appa! Yip, yip!

"WOW," Sokka says. "That was truly amazing."

"Appa's just tired," Aang says. "A little rest and he'll be _soaring _through the skies. You'll see!"

Aang's enthusiasm is contagious. I can't help but smile at him and—is he smiling at me? "Why are you smiling at me like that?"

"O-oh, I was smiling?" Well, he is kind of cute and innocent.

Aaand, Sokka groaned. I swear, if he says 'Oogie'…

Whatever, we're heading home.

_Little did I know then what had just happened. The boy in the iceberg turned out to be the Avatar, the last airbender. We'd begun a chain of events that not only changed our lives, but saved the world. In the process, we grew up, learned new things, met a lot of new people and saw many places. It was an adventure that I never thought would start on a simple fishing trip. I still wonder to this day what might have been had we not found Aang. I guess we'll never know. But I'm glad we did._

_We saved the world. And it started on a fishing trip._

* * *

This was the only thing I could think of doing for Day 1 of Avatar Week. It's not the most original, but I thought there was no better way of honoring the beginnings, than the moment the adventure began. It's entirely in first-person, starting from when Katara starts calling Sokka out for his sexist comments. I tried to capture what was going on in the scene and Katara's head during that time. I hope you like it!


End file.
